Blue4All is a HORIZON Europe Ocean Mission project working towards addressing marine conservation and restoration challenges in Europe. It proposes a new approach to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that aligns with EU Biodiversity Strategy and national initiatives.

This newsletter issue comprises updates from the project, as well as news like the soon to be launched networking space for MPA managers and stakeholders, the outcomes of the roleplaying game realized during the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona last April, and project contributions to the key action points for marine protection in the Eastern Baltic.

Ship weather routing, which involves suggesting low-emission routes, has the potential to help decarbonise maritime transport. However, the quantitative impacts of this approach are still being fully explored. New developments in the graph-search VISIR-2 (discoVerIng Safe and effIcient Routes) model led by the CMCC’s Gianandrea Mannarini provide a step in the right direction.

A new study, led by CMCC researcher Lorenzo Zampieri, sheds light on the shortcomings of models in accurately simulating the heat conduction through the sea ice system during the winter months. Diagnosing these shortcomings using novel observations improves our understanding of the sea ice system and will enable better parameterization for climate models.

CMCC is a partner of the travelling exhibition examining the ocean’s dynamics as viewed from Space. The exhibition explores current efforts to protect our valuable marine ecosystems using stunning Earth observation satellite images, augmented reality, and interviews with experts, local decision-makers, and coastal inhabitants engaged in the United Nations Ocean Decade. It was inaugurated on April 8, 2024, at the Port of Barcelona, within the framework of the United Nations Ocean Decade Conference.